Updates from the Arctic Sunrise activists

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Feature story - 1 August, 2014

The Arctic 30 spent more than three months in a Russian detention centre, despite the fact that the seizure of their ship and the imprisonment of the activists were deemed illegal by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. As one activist said, "They didn't lock us up for what we did. They locked us up for what we stood for." Their act of civil disobedience was a courageous stand against destructive Arctic oil drilling and the onslaught of climate change.

From peaceful action to dramatic seizure — below is a timeline of events since the Arctic Sunrise took action on 18 September 2013, all times CET.

Week 1 (Sep 18 - Sep 24)

September 18, 2013

02.34 - Four inflatables leave the Arctic Sunrise heading towards Gazprom's oil platform, the Prirazlomnaya. Activists attempt to climb and establish themselves on the outside structure of the platform to protest against imminent drilling.

They are here to peacefully protest against the Arctic oil rush, which threatens grave harm to the Arctic environment, as well as extracting more oil that humanity cannot afford to burn. The Prirazlomnaya is the first oil rig to start oil production in the ice-filled waters of the Arctic. Safety culture on the rig is a joke.

The nearby Russian Coast Guard ship quickly responds by launching inflatables manned with agents masked in balaclavas. They proceed to ram and slash the Greenpeace inflatables, threaten activists at gun and knife point and fire warning shots from automatic weapons. Further, the remaining crew onboard the Arctic Sunrise count 11 shots fired across the bow from the Coast Guard vessel's artillery cannon.

The Coast Guard seizes activists Sini and Marco, who had managed to climb on to the structure before being forced to retreat by water cannons and several warning shots by hand guns, taking them aboard their vessel.

The remaining activist returns to the Arctic Sunrise that stays in the vicinity but no closer than 3 nautical miles to the Prirazlomnaya.

17.28 - Camila, a 21 year-old activist from Argentina, describes the action in a blog post.

September 19, 2013

13.30 - The Coast Guard describes Marco and Sini as 'guests' but requests to speak to them from the Arctic Sunrise and their lawyer go unanswered. As far as is known, no charges are read out.

September 21, 2013

15.20 - Professor Geert-Jan Knoops, a professor of international criminal law at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands, is quoted in Dutch media saying:"As far as the facts are known to me exactly, the Russian coast guard was not entitled [to board the ship]".

15.45 - Still without any news from the Arctic Sunrise crew, Greenpeace International strongly rejects any allegation of piracy. It appears that the Russian government is grasping at straws to justify what was clearly an illegal boarding of the Arctic Sunrise in international waters.

September 22, 2013

16.35 - It has been 72 hours since Russian authorities seized the Arctic Sunrise in Russian EEZ without any legal basis.

15.00 - A diplomatic delegation (18 people, representing 9 nationalities) went on board the Arctic Sunrise and left two hours later after holding face to face meetings with respective nationalities on board.

16.01 - Chief researcher at the Institute of State and Law and expert of the Law of the Sea, Vasiliy Gutsulyak, gives an interview on Vesti FM on the use of the piracy paragraph. He calls it overstretched. Actually so overstretched that it in his expert opinion is unlikely to be used. Audio

17.45 - We have just spoken with the crew. They have been asked to prepare to leave the ship. We don't yet know where they're going.

18.02 - We have have had some limited contact with our friends on board. They are all fine for now. Some of them have even been able to do sneak calls to friends and family. We should be grateful as long as they are together on the ship. We released three pictures from inside the ship.

Week 2 (Sep 25 - Oct 01)

September 25, 2013

08.48 - The Greenpeace activists who boarded a Russian oil rig are "obviously not pirates," says President Vladimir Putin in a speech during the plenary session of the Third International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – Territory of Dialogue" held in Salekhard, Russia.

14.00 - Greenpeace International welcomes President Putin's statement that the activists were obviously not pirates. In addition, footage apparently taken from Gazprom's rig during the action on September 18th shows that the Greenpeace International activists posed no threat, while the security forces fired shots near the Greenpeace rhibs.

19.15 - Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans informs Dutch parliament that he is considering legal action against Russia if the demand of the Netherlands to release the Arctic Sunrise and its crew remains unanswered.

September 26, 2013

07.00 - A preliminary court hearing starts in Murmansk to decide if the piracy investigation should continue, and if the activists should remain free during said investigation.

00.39 - At the end of a long day, the Arctic 30 were seen by six judges. No charges were laid, but all 30 are still being detained; 22 are being held for two months as Russian authorities pursue an investigation around piracy charges while eight are being held for three days awaiting a new hearing. Their names and status are listed here.

September 28, 2013

10.30 - Russian federal investigators have boarded the Arctic Sunrise this morning for inspection. Captain Peter Willcox, still being detained, is present for the Investigative Committee inspection of the ship.

September 29, 2013

04.00 - Since September 19th, activists have been standing in solidarity with the Arctic 30 in front of Gazprom HQ in Moscow. Russian law says that if a person alone protests, they don't need permission. So it's been 1 person at a time for 9 days.

09.00 - Five activists have arrived at the Leninsky Court in Murmansk. There are lots of media present for the hearing of the final 8 activists today. pic.twitter.com/NO5aTAxu0I

10.00 - Spokesperson Dima Litvinov (US/SE) to be held in custody for 2 months, until Nov 24th, pending a piracy investigation. pic.twitter.com/G8yxCBCdt9

13.20 - Ukrainian crew member to be held in custody for 2 months, until Nov 24th, pending a piracy investigation.

14.00 - Activist Faiza Oulahsen from the Netherlands is to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

14.35 - Crew member Mannes Ubels from The Netherlands is to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

Activist Frank Hewetson from the UK to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

Finnish activist Sini Saarela to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

15.45 - Activist Anthony Perrett from Wales, UK, is to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

16.40 - Crew member Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel from Brazil is to be held in custody until Nov 24th pending a piracy investigation.

19.20 - A further eight Greenpeace International activists have been detained for two months in Russia pending an investigation into possible charges of piracy. The eight will join 22 others, including a freelance videographer and freelance photographer, detained on Thursday following a peaceful protest against Arctic oil drilling. Greenpeace International pledged to appeal all 30 detentions.

The 30 have already been held by the Russian authorities for 10 days since the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise was illegally boarded in international waters on Thursday, September 19.

September 30, 2013

October 01, 2013

18.00 - Greenpeace legal team informed that two activists, Sini Saarela and Dima Litvinov, will be charged on Wednesday 2 October at 08:30 CET.

21.00 - Greenpeace activists unfurl a 28m wide banner reading 'Gazprom, Don't Foul The Arctic' at Basel's St. Jakob Park stadium, shortly after kick-off in the Champions League game between FC Basel and Gazprom sponsored, FC Schalke 04. Greenpeace demands that Gazprom (the Russian state-owned company and Champions League sponsor) cease their high-risk oil exploration in the Arctic. The protestors also repeated demands for the release of the 28 Greenpeace International activists, as well as a freelance photographer and a freelance videographer currently in custody pending investigations into a peaceful Arctic oil protest.

22.10 - In a letter from her cell in Murmansk, Russia, Faiza Oulahsen writes about her experiences from entering the Greenpeace icebreaker Arctic Sunrise until a few days ago when she along with 29 others lost their freedom to the Russian security forces.

11.20 - Greenpeace activists in Germany chained themself to a Gazprom gas pump at a petrol station in Berlin at the same time the activists and journalists of the Arctic Sunrise, which had peacefully protested at a Gazprom oil platform, were formally charged with piracy.

14.00 - UK activist Anthony Perrett and a Ukranian crew member have been officially charged with piracy.

14.15 - Crew members Colin Russell from Australia and Andrey Allakhverdov from Russia are officially charged with piracy.

14.30 - Crew members Miguel Hernan Perez Orzi from Argentina, Francesco Pisanu from France, Alexandre Paul from Canada, David John Haussmann from New Zealand, and Cristian D'Alessandro from Italy are officially charged with piracy.

15.10 - All 30 appeals against the refusal of setting bail for activists and crew has now been filed. We still do not know when the appeal cases will be held but we dont expect them to happen this week.

16.00 - Captain Peter Willcox from the US, Crew member Paul D. Ruzycki from Canada, Crew member Iain Rogers from UK, Activist Frank Hewetson from UK, Activist Marco Weber from Switzerland, and Crew member Gizem Akhan from Turkey are all officially charged with piracy.

"Greenpeace International applauds the Dutch government decision as flag state of the Arctic Sunrise in taking the necessary legal steps to gain the release of the Arctic Sunrise and the Arctic 30, who are being unjustly held. The Netherlands is taking a strong stance in support of the rule of law and the right to peacefully protest. Russian officials will now be called to explain their actions before an international court of law, where it will be unable to justify these absurd piracy allegations."

17.40 - Executive Director Kumi Naidoo broadcast a live conversation about the Arctic 30 and the future of the Arctic on Google Hangout. If you missed it, you can watch it here: http://bit.ly/1dZofVb

21.00 - 1,000,000 #SavetheArctic30 letters of support have been sent to Russian embassies around the world.

Greenpeace International reveals that it intends to file a criminal complaint with the police over the illegal seizure of its ship the Arctic Sunrise. The lawyers of the 30 detainees are filing complaints over the violations of the rights of the 30 detainees to the relevant authorities.

12.00 - A Greenpeace press conference is held in Murmansk to discuss the detention conditions and legal status of the Arctic 30. It can be viewed here.

08.30 - Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff orders her top diplomat to probe Russia over the fate of Brazilian Greenpeace activist Ana Paula Maciel. President Dilma said the Foreign Ministry was determined to provide "any assistance" to Ana Paula Maciel.

"I asked Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo to make high-level contact with the Russian government to find a solution for Ana Paula," Rousseff wrote on Twitter.

10.00 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Roman Dolgov on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

“Before leaving Norway for the Russian Arctic, the ship was searched with a sniffer dog by the Norwegian authorities, as is standard. The laws in Norway are amongst the strictest in the world, and nothing was found because nothing illegal was on the ship. “

17.00 - Greenpeace International responds to claims by Russia's Investigative Committee that the Arctic 30 activists endangered the safety of Russian security officers by ramming their dinghy:

"Greenpeace International has today published a slow motion video of an incident in which a Greenpeace boat comes to assist another one being harassed by armed security forces."

October 11, 2013

09.20 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Phil Ball on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

10.00 - Protests are held outside of the Albertina Museum in Vienna where an exhibition of the Gazprom Collection is being shown.

10.20 - The appeal to release freelance videographer Kieron Bryan on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

"Those 30 brave men and women are in jail on trumped up charges, they are prisoners of conscience. They are there not because of what they did but because of what they represent. They are there not because of Russian law but because they made a stand against vested interests. Greenpeace does not think it is above the law, but those campaigners are not pirates, even President Putin says so, and every day they remain behind bars is an affront to the basic principles of justice."

October 13, 2013

"I'm worried about what's going to happen. I have moments of feeling panicky, but then I try to tell myself that there's nothing I can do from in here and what will be will be so it's pointless worrying. But it's hard. Surely my future isn't rotting in prison in Murmansk?! Well, I really hope it isn't."

06.00 - Greenpeace activists from Italy and Eastern Europe protest at the Barcolana Autumn Cup Regatta in Trieste against the competition's main sponsor, Gazprom.

14.30 - Greenpeace International Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo, holds a press conference about the Arctic 30 in Reykjavik, Iceland as part of the Arctic Circle Conference:

"I put it to this conference that ... the two journalists and 28 activists that are imprisoned in Murmansk were acting in the best interests of all of humanity, and I wanted to ask this conference to agree with President Putin and myself when we say that these activists are not pirates, that they were acting in the public interest, and that they should be released immediately."

October 14, 2013

13.45 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Camila Speziale on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

15.00 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Pete Willcox on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

"Most people try to do at least something for the greater good, sometimes occasionally, sometimes for sustained periods. Rarely do people devote their entire life trying to make the world a better place. Peter is one of those rare people. He is a hero not a pirate. I appeal to the common sense and conscience of the Russian authorities to let my husband and the rest of the people from the Arctic Sunrise come home."

"Peaceful protests and piracy are two very different things. We have a problem when the officers and crew are charged with piracy as some kind of political expedient." says Don Marcus of the Linthicum Heights, US-based International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P).

11.00 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Marco Weber on bail is delayed 6 days by the Regional Court of Murmansk due to a German translator not being available.

12.00 - The appeal to release Greenpeace International activist Frank Hewetson on bail is rejected by the Regional Court of Murmansk.

"Frank has now spent three weeks locked up thousands of miles away from his family. He is accused of an absurd crime which clearly none of the Arctic 30 are guilty of committing. The only thing he is guilty of is participating in an entirely peaceful protest to raise awareness of a cause that he passionately believes in - protecting the planet and the fragile wilderness of the Arctic. He has two teenage children back home who miss him terribly, and not knowing when we’ll be able to see him again is agony."

It also said it plans not to attend the hearing at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). The Ministry did, however, say today that "at the same time Russia remains open to settling the situation".

Greenpeace International Legal Counsel, Daniel Simons said: "It seems the Russian authorities don't welcome the prospect of the lawfulness of their actions being assessed by an independent tribunal."

European commissioner Janez Potočnik, said:"While our immediate preoccupation is the continuing detention and the manifestly disproportionate charges brought against those detained, we should not lose from sight the issue that they were attracting attention to. It is one that we should all take very seriously - how to ensure that economic activities in the Arctic do not endanger the region's fragile environment."

19.20 - Greenpeace International responds to reports that piracy charges against the Arctic 30 alleged by the Investigative Committee are to be dropped and replaced with charges of hooliganism.

Vladimir Chuprov of Greenpeace Russia said: "We will contest the trumped up charge of hooliganism as strongly as we contested the piracy allegations. They are both fantasy charges that bear no relation to reality. The Arctic 30 protested peacefully against Gazprom's dangerous oil drilling and should be free."

October 24, 2013

10.35 - The European Parliament releases a statement saying that the charges against the Arctic 30, while they may be switched to hooliganism, are still disproportionate. MEPs stressed the charges could be seen as threats to democracy, freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration.

10.40 - The appeal to release Canadian crew member Paul D. Ruzycki on bail was rejected by the Murmansk Regional Court. Video

Andrey Allakhverdov of Russia was charged with hooliganism under article 213, part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code. Russian authorities have also started charging other members of the Arctic 30, who include 28 Greenpeace International activists plus a freelance videographer and a freelance photographer, with hooliganism.

In response, Ben Ayliffe at Greenpeace International said:"The Arctic 30 are innocent of all charges. There can be no justification for locking them up in a cell in Murmansk. This was an entirely peaceful protest in international waters to shine a light on Gazprom's reckless Arctic oil drilling plans. Eleven warning shots were fired across the Arctic Sunrise, bullets were fired into the water next to the protesters, they were threatened with guns and knives and detained on trumped up charges to defend Gazprom’s oil interests. Who are the real hooligans here?”

The activists call on the French government to put the release of the Arctic 30 on top of the meeting's agenda and to go beyond consular assistance to Francesco Pisanu, the French crew member, by taking a public stand in support of the release of the Arctic 30, like Germany has done. Video

Tyulpanov wrote in a letter to Prosecutor General Yury Chaika: "By means of their profession, journalists are required to be in the thick of events.””It is this kind of dedication that allows us to receive timely information from all parts of the world."

17.54 - Greenpeace International submits an Amicus Curiae brief in support of the Dutch ITLOS request.

20.30 - Activist Marco Weber of Switzerland has been charged with hooliganism by Russia's Investigative Committee.

October 31, 2013

12.30 - Representatives from Gazprom's Science and Research Institute of Economics and Management for the Gas Industry were in Copenhagen to give a presentation on how to manage oil drillings safely. Four Danish activists unfurled a huge banner at the floor-to-ceiling window of the meeting room to show the real picture of Gazprom's environmental destruction in Russia.

All of the Arctic 30 have now been presented with hooliganism charges.

17.00 - Greenpeace International releases a video which takes a look at the efforts of the ground team in Murmansk. Volunteers and Greenpeace staff provide legal support, put together personalised care and deliver communications work to help those behind bars.

November 01, 2013

16.00 - According to diplomatic sources, the thirty men and women detained by Russia following a peaceful protest against an Arctic oil platform are being moved from a detention centre in Murmansk to a jail in St Petersburg.

Lawyers for Greenpeace are not aware of the reasons for the move. Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said:"The detainees shouldn't be in jail at all. They should be free to join their families and restart their lives. St Petersburg has some daylight in the winter months, unlike Murmansk. Families and consular officials will now find it easier to visit the thirty. But there is no guarantee that conditions inside the new detention centre will be any better than in Murmansk. In fact, they could be worse. There is no justification whatsoever to keep the Arctic 30 in any prison for a day longer. They are prisoners of conscience who acted out of a determination to protect us all, and they should be free."

November 05, 2013

18:25 - Regarding the upcoming hearing at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), where the Netherlands is bringing a case seeking the release of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and its crew, Greenpeace International General Counsel Jasper Teulings said:"We appreciate the Dutch government bringing this case and thank the Tribunal for considering it. We understand that the job of the Tribunal is limited to deciding questions which cannot wait until full arbitration - only in arbitration will the issues be decided on the merits."

The ITLOS hearing is scheduled to start at 10am CET on November 6 2013.

14.20 - Following a hearing at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), where the Netherlands brought a case seeking the release of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and its crew, Greenpeace International General Counsel Jasper Teulings said:"The Dutch government argued its case extremely strongly. The Netherlands is taking a strong stance in support of the rule of law and the right to peacefully protest. Greenpeace International applauds the Dutch decision as flag state of the Arctic Sunrise in taking the necessary legal steps to gain the release of the ship and the Arctic 30.

"Greenpeace International is confident that the Tribunal will take appropriate account of the fundamental rights of the Arctic 30, and the impact of their detention on those rights, in reaching its eventual decision."

November 07, 2013

14.00 - A full transcript of the public sitting of the Arctic Sunrise case (Kingdom of the Netherlands v. Russian Federation), held on November 6th, 2013 at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is available here.

The footage shows Russian security agents descending onto the ship from a helicopter by rope on September 19. It also shows how those on board surrendered peacefully to the armed security officers with their arms raised.

"As you can see on the video, the Greenpeace International crew are clearly displaying non-resistance. They are doing their utmost to signal their peaceful intention and the best way to do that is to show yourself in full, with raised arms. They are not the actions of hooligans or pirates, as the authorities allege," said Vladimir Chuprov, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Russia.

The signatories from more than 30 countries "applaud the sober minded and non-violent protests against Gazprom's oil drilling in the Arctic, which poses a dangerous threat to the fragile Arctic environment and the global climate".

To read the full text of the statement and to see the list of signatories please click here.

November 11, 2013

08.00 - The transport of the Arctic 30 away from Murmansk started at around 5:00am local time today. Greenpeace International understands the move is taking place by prisoner train. Lawyers for the thirty who tried to visit them in Murmansk this morning were told by officials at the detention centre that all thirty were already being transported.

It is not yet certain which SIZO (detention centre) in St Petersburg they are being taken to or whether the new facility will represent an improvement on conditions compared with their detention in Murmansk. The 28 Greenpeace International activists and two freelance journalists may also be spread out over different locations across St Petersburg.

A team of lawyers to represent the Arctic 30 has already arrived in St. Petersburg, together with support staff.

Applications to keep the thirty in jail have only been filed for some of them — so far six extension requests have been filed today with the Kalininskiy District Court, with more possible later today and a further nine expected to follow on Monday.

Greenpeace lawyers have been told the Investigative Committee is applying to keep the detainees in prison for a further three months while they investigate their alleged crimes. The Committee needs to apply to a court to have its application upheld. If it is not upheld by a judge, the 30 will be released.

Lawyers for the detainees will now appeal decisions to extend detention, and will apply for bail for all detainees whose detention is extended.

Prosecutors in court are not seeking extension of detention for piracy — the original charge brought against the 30. However, formal withdrawal of the piracy charge requires a written statement. Lawyers for the detainees have petitioned for such a statement but it has not been given — indicating that this is a policy decision and not an oversight by the authorities.

19.00 - Russian freelance photographer Denis Sinyakov is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg. He is the second of the Arctic 30 to be free on bail.

21.00 - Russian Andrey Allakhverdov is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg. He is the third of the Arctic 30 to be free on bail.

November 19, 2013

10.30 - Brazilian Ana Paula Alminhana Maciel is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg. She is the first non-Russian to be set free on bail.

11.30 - David John Haussmann of New Zealand is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg.

Commenting on the development in the Primorskiy District Court, Kumi Naidoo of Greenpeace said:"In the space of two mornings we have had good news and bad, and the good news comes with a warning. We still have no idea what conditions our friends will endure when they are released from jail, whether they will be held under house arrest or even allowed outside. What we do know for certain is that they are still charged and could spend years behind bars if they are convicted for a crime they did not commit. And we remain baffled and heartbroken that our colleague Colin was refused bail and sent back to prison for three months. The Arctic 30 will not be free until every last one of them is back home with their families."

11.50 - Argentinian Miguel Hernan Perez Orsi is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg.

12.45 - Tomasz Dziemianczuk of Poland is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg.

13.45 - Camila Speziale of Argentina is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg.

14.15 - Canadian Paul Ruzycki is to be released on bail says court in St Petersburg.

Lawyers for Greenpeace today said there are a number of bureaucratic issues to resolve before any of the Arctic 30 are released from jail and they do not expect any of them to be out of prison until the weekend, possibly later. It is still not clear whether their movements will then be restricted. None of them have passports after they were confiscated following the seizing of their ship Arctic Sunrise by Russian security forces.

Greenpeace cautioned that the detainees will not be free until they are home with their families. They are still charged with at least one very serious offence and if convicted could face years in prison.

The Australian ambassador to Russia today announced that he is visiting the Foreign Ministry in Moscow in an effort to find out why Greenpeace International activist Colin Russell was this week refused bail and ordered to return to jail for three months.

12.32 - American Captain Peter Willcox has been granted bail in Kalininsky District Court.

13.45 - Mannes Ubels of The Netherlands and Kieron Bryan from the UK have been granted bail in Primorsky District Court.

15.40 - Anne Mie Roer Jensen of Denmark has been granted bail in Primorsky District Court.

16.40 - Anthony Perrett of the UK has been granted bail in Kalininsky District Court.

The Primorsky court in St Petersburg granted bail to Ana Paula, a biologist, on Tuesday pending the payment of 2 million ruble bail. She has now left the detention centre, but the conditions of her bail are not yet fully known.

"This is an extremely disappointing ruling. We believe this verdict is in violation of both the Russian Criminal Procedure Code and international law. Cassation procedures are now available under Russian law," said Gerrit-Jan Bolderman, Director of Stichting Phoenix, the ship’s owner.

Besides the possibility of a further appeal at a cassation court by Stichting Phoenix, the lawyer representing Peter Willcox, the captain of the Arctic Sunrise who was granted bail by a St Petersburg court on Wednesday, will in the coming days file a petition seeking the release of the ship.

14.45 - Francesco Pisanu of France has been released on bail from detention centre in St. Petersburg.

15.00 - Cristian D'Alessandro of Italy has been released on bail from detention centre in St. Petersburg.

15.15 - Sini Saarela of Finland and Anne Mie Roer Jensen of Denmark have been released on bail from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

15.30 - Tomasz Dziemianczuk of Poland and Camila Speziale of Argentina have been released on bail from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

November 22, 2013

09.15 - Anthony Perrett of the UK and Marco Weber from Switzerland have been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

09.30 - Russian Roman Dolgov has been granted bail in Kalininsky District Court.

09.50 - American Captain Peter Willcox and Faiza Oulahsen from The Netherlands have been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

11.00 - Kieron Bryan of the UK, Paul Ruzycki of Canada, and Mannes Ubels of The Netherlands have been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

11.35 - Dima Litvinov has been granted bail in Kalininsky District Court.

12.10 - Miguel Hernan Perez Orzi of Argentina has been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

13.25 - Iain Rogers and Frank Hewetson both of the UK and Jonathan Beauchamp of New Zealand have been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

13.00 - Alexandra Harris of the UK has been been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

13.30 - Philip Ball has been granted bail in Kalininsky District Court.

14.10 - Ruslan Yakushev of Ukraine has been been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

14.25 - Gizem Akhan of Turkey and Canadian Alexandre Paul have been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

15.45 - Roman Dolgov of Russia and Dimitri Litvinov of Sweden have been been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

16.15 - The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) today ordered the Russian Federation in a binding ruling to release the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and the 28 activists and two freelance journalists on board upon payment of a EUR 3.6 million bond.

Russia is now under an obligation to comply with the order: the Russian Constitution itself states that international law forms an integral part of the Russian legal system and Russian courts are under an obligation to implement the order. Greenpeace therefore expects Russia to respect UNCLOS and the Tribunal, as it has done in the past.

November 25, 2013

Week 11 (Nov 27 - Dec 03)

November 28, 2013

11.08 - Australian activist Colin Russell has been granted bail by a St. Petersburg court, the last of the Arctic 30 detainees to be ordered released on bail. He has spent 71 days in detention.

November 29, 2013

13.00 - Colin Russell has been been released from the detention centre in St. Petersburg.

Greenpeace International activist Colin Russell (from Australia) is greeted by fellow Arctic 30 activist Camila Speziale after he is released on bail from the SIZO 4 detention centre in St. Petersburg.

Jasper Teulings, General Counsel at Greenpeace International, said:"The Netherlands has now fulfilled its part of the Tribunal's binding order and Russia is obligated to also comply by releasing the ship and the Arctic 30, as the Tribunal so ordered. The Tribunal has ordered both Russia and the Netherlands to report back on progress with their compliance by December 2. We at Greenpeace assume the Russian Federation will comply with the order.

"Greenpeace International will cover the costs associated with the issuing of the bank guarantee and will make sure that Dutch taxpayers are not affected by the Tribunal's order. Similarly, Greenpeace will compensate the Dutch government if the arbitral tribunal orders the Netherlands at a later date to pay reparations to Russia."

Week 12 (Dec 04 - Dec 10)

December 04, 2013

14.00 - Lawyers for the Arctic 30 have started to lodge applications with the Investigative Committee seeking exit visas for the non-Russian nationals. If the applications are approved, the foreign nationals would be allowed to leave Russia to await the ongoing investigations into their peaceful Arctic oil protest.

All of the foreign nationals, 26 people from 17 nations, have had their passports returned to them after their release on bail from detention last month. However, they do not have the correct visa allowing them to leave Russia and are currently staying at a hotel in St Petersburg.

Separate applications for exit visas will need to be made for all of the non-Russian nationals in coming days and formally, the Investigative Committee must respond to the request within three days.

December 11, 2013

In its present form, the proposal would apply only to people who have either been convicted of hooliganism, or people who are on trial and will be convicted within the six month period after the amnesty decree is adopted.

The Arctic 30 fall into neither category, but could be granted amnesty if the text is only slightly amended.

Greenpeace International lawyer Daniel Simons said: “As it stands the amnesty text would not include the Arctic 30, but it very nearly does. The Duma would only have to make a relatively minor amendment to the text and include people charged with hooliganism whose trial has not yet been scheduled. Then the Arctic 30 could go home. Right now they still face the possibility of trial and conviction for a crime they didn’t commit, and prison sentences that could stretch to many years. The charges against them should of course be dropped, but if the Arctic 30 case can be brought to an end through the amnesty then that would be a welcome development for people who have already spent two months in jail for standing up for their beliefs."

A ruling in November by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ordered Russia to allow the Arctic 30 to leave the country immediately and to release the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise, as soon as a bond of 3.6m euros in the form of a bank guarantee was paid. That bond was posted by the Government of the Netherlands - where the Arctic Sunrise is registered - on 29th November. Russia is now in defiance of that order.

There will be a final vote at 4pm Moscow time, but the only way the Arctic 30 would be removed from the amnesty is if the entire bill is rejected - an outcome regarded as extremely unlikely.

It is unclear when the non-Russians amongst the Arctic 30 will be able to leave the country. At present they do not have the correct stamps in their passports, having been brought to Russia by commandos after being illegally seized in international waters. By accepting the amnesty they will not be admitting guilt, but the legal proceedings against them will come to an end.

The fate of the Arctic Sunrise, currently impounded in Murmansk, remains uncertain, despite the order of an international court that it be released following a case brought by the Dutch government.

13:15 - The Russian parliament has today formally adopted an amnesty that will end legal proceedings against the Arctic 30.

In reaction, Anthony said:"It's time to go home, it’s time to get back to Wales, and I just got one big step closer. I took peaceful action to defend a fragile region under profound threat and instead I was seized by armed commandos at sea and spent two months in detention. This is not over yet. The Arctic is melting before our eyes and yet the oil companies are lining up to profit from its destruction. This is why I took action, to expose them and mobilise people to demand Arctic protection. I am proud of what I did."

Week 15 (Dec 25 - Dec 30)

December 25, 2013

The final chapter in the legal ordeal of the Arctic 30 began as the group was asked to attend a meeting at Russia's Investigative Committee, where the criminal case against them is being dropped en masse.

They will then have one more hurdle – securing exit visas in their passports – before the non-Russians are free to leave the country and be reunited with their families. A meeting with the Federal Migration Service is scheduled for later today. The Arctic 30 are expected to leave Russia in the coming days.

Fourteen of the Arctic 30 were given exit stamps in their passports today, the rest will be given their stamps tomorrow. The non-Russians will all leave the country in the coming days, many of them tomorrow.

Also preparing to depart today are Miguel Hernan Perez Orsi of Argentina, Ruslan Yakushev of Ukraine, and American Peter Willcox.

17.25 - Five members of the Arctic 30 - Iain, Anthony, Kieron, Alex and Phil - have arrived safely back in the UK.

18.30 - More members of the Arctic 30 arrive at the Saint Petersburg airport for their departure home: Mannes Ubels and Faiza Oulahsen of the Netherlands, together with Brazilian Ana Paula Maciel, Australian Colin Russell, and Gizem Akhan of Turkey.

19.15 - All but one of the 26 non-Russian members of the Arctic 30 have now left Russia and are on their way home.

2014

March 03, 2014

Greenpeace International today filed a formal petition with the Russian Investigative Committee regarding the release of the ship Arctic Sunrise. The petition argues that with all charges against the Arctic 30 now dropped, the grounds on which the vessel was originally detained are no longer present. Greenpeace International is also requesting access to the Arctic Sunrise in order to evaluate the ship's maintenance needs. While some property has been returned to the Arctic 30, they have yet to receive all their personal belongings from the ship.

The Arctic Sunrise is expected to arrive in Amsterdam in early August, where Greenpeace activists and supporters, along with members of the Arctic 30, will welcome the ship, before it enters a shipyard for a thorough assessment of its condition and the necessary repairs. Russia's Investigative Committee recently told Greenpeace that it had extended its investigation into the Arctic 30 case until September 24th 2014, despite the fact that the criminal case against the 30 has been dropped.

The Arctic Sunrise Arrives In Amsterdam

August 18, 2014

It's been one year now since our peaceful action was intercepted by armed Russian FSB agents; nearly one year since we were unlawfully charged with piracy and sent to jail for more than two months. Not a day goes by that we don't think of the time we spent in jail in Murmansk and St. Petersburg, or about the fact that we did not see justice — we are free, yes, but we were granted amnesty for a crime we did not commit. But at least we are home with our families, which is more than we can say for the thousands of other activists around the world who continue to be persecuted or imprisoned for standing up for what they believe in. — Arctic 30

September 16, 2014

Greenpeace International submits an Amicus Curiae brief to the Arbitral Tribunal hearing the case brought by the Netherlands against Russia in relation to the Arctic Sunrise.

The brief sets out international human rights law and jurisprudence relevant to the case. The Arbitral Tribunal will later decide not to admit it.

Today

Complete with never-before-seen footage and behind-the-scenes access, Black Ice tells the story of the Arctic 30 from the moment they set sail to protest at the controversial Prirazlomnaya oil platform, to their arrest, imprisonment...and what happened next.